The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-29

Southern forestry congress in session at
Huntsville, Ala:
BEAuyoR, Miss, oct. 10, 1887.
Sidney Root TWJ
My Dear Sir-Pl6ase accent my thanks for the re-
ports you have sent me Of the proceedings Of the
forestry congress. BY a brief compliance with
your request, will endcavOr 10 show my gnteiul
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF your consideration
Inc subject OF which the attention OF your as
hociation IN directed has long commanded my deep
Interest and Il has grieyCd To see, as is too often
We case' thc danger that delay OF appropriate rene
In 1880 there was between the upper Mississippi
ahd the great lakes the finest forests OF mast timber
70 be found east of the Rocky mountains. Now
ihey nre snid TO have been quite destroyed TO make
lumber Tor purposes for which inferior trees would
nave served; and that such Is the fact is indicated
10y the closer attention recently given TO the south
ern forests by northern lumbcrmcn.
How h the devastation to be checked After the
iailu mas become private property control OF 1t has
paScd 70 the owners therefore II IN suggested
whether that. where tlmbcrlnnds are remaining in
the hands OF the government, the sale Of such
should not be limited to alternate sections, and
whether no grants should be made except In lots
Tor nctunl settlement and cultivation. In home
stead grants, conditions might be introduced
among which would BE- the preservation O n certain
PORTION OF the land Ia timber on each lot 30 granted
wherever public work would warrant the grant
OF MD from the government. why should not
money bc given instead Of land, and this heritage
retained Tor coming generations,
The startling exposures which have been made
OF irhuds nnd misapproprlatlons Of the public
administering IT, ny well as for public content. Il
would not lie better W trinsfer the control Of the
puDlu ANUS 10 the states IN when they lie. Agents
Oiequal capacity with those heretofore employed
might be Obtained and the state supervision would
have the prompting OF direct interest and greater
facilities Tor Information.
The arbor day presents method Of renewing de-
stroyed forests IN well creating them on pnlrie
and swamp lands where they have not within the
memory of man, existed. In the northwest there
are marshes which have no present or prospective
value but which might DO utilized for forestry pur
poses with lamnnck. This tree docs not attain
great size, but is very dumblo and the trunks nrc
quite straight II was the material mainly en-
plOycd IN building the cantonment of Fort Whine
bago aud also 10 make cnuscways across the boggy
marshes, for all Of which Il was found 10 be admir-
ably adapted. Why should not those marshes be
thus made pruhulhcl In the historic field OF Col.
lOdcu thcu WIS, NJ the date Of the battle Of that
name, n hare bOggy moor Il has since been covered
by dense forest OF lArrh, European variety i'm
ported into Scotland and utilized Hs already stated
Beyond the preservation Of timber for mechanical
aud domestic uses, them are climaticnnd other con.
sdcnatons Of grave Impotence. The first effect Of
clearing the forest ana reducing the land 10 cultya-
ton IA ~ uggrlyatc the spring floods through many
Tributaries into the mnin channels or rivers OF the
cuuniry-thc destructive OycrilOws OF the valley Of
tho vnln Nhloh nave lhIcly brn experienced
would Indicate THIS ns the cause, for IL Is known
that there the rio Of cultivated timber land cx.
ccPuNnully great THIS j., however only the inst
effect due IN the destruction Of the forests bcyond
that, We anticipate nridity ns the consequence ID
Il proycrhnlly the Characteristic Of the wise o learn
rom The experience ui otheu, aud ~ the occupa.
pHUiiNcly rccent We must look elsewhere for In.
htrlCiiv" eNHWplcSoi the eject 20 be produced los
the destruction 4 the forests. In this connec.
Invaded that oputdry there l. evidence
that Il WINS not wanting In rdnfall Travellers
have noticed the luhc done bridges be- built over
what are now mcriiulcts hut which then must
have bc'n rivers OF such magnitude NJ rquipd
the bridges which stand 10 attest the need for
which they were constructed Also districts Which
wcrr once IroduoliYe arr now dependent upof H.
rgauon The only essigncd cause lpi tile change
4 the denudationtd the leai Prom like cause
We aust necessarily concudc like results will fol.
/ low under similar ckcumstanccs.
The extensive territory Of the United states with
| ~ various climatic conditions. presents many
phases ~ the climatic problem. The yapor which
rises from the Gull Oi Mexico. a. from vast Cnul.
drun. Is horne northcasiwurlly 10y the prevailing
aerial current over the Guli States, giving 90 them
| such nu amount oL niniall that they arr marked
ON the meteorological chart, ~ the uiny belt. Their,
u mirhi tr as-umc,i that the danger we have been
| considering from the destruction of forests would
| not exist. Int there arc other conscquen1~ alike
injurious ~ the land he exposed 81 the scorchlng
ntcd evaporation " useful moisture, aud n the
| land lie left 10 the irce sweep Of the winds ntmns
phcric fertilization will be Lost fum the joint e.
| icct Of huth. prgiuctlyencss must he Impaired
| though the nininll should continue.
| In higher iattudcs the anticipated atmospheric
nridiiy would diminish the winter SHOWS, aud the
| exposure oi the suftacu would INCREASE the power
| oi winter trusts. continuation seriously dctri
/ mental "a winter crops.
| East Of the Rocky mountains and south Of the
l
| pherc current fum the cguaior dcsccnds % the
sutinCc, lies the grand prairie. OF, ~ Il has been
| called, the American desert"
| That The absence " iup~is Ia that rsi0n 4 due
| ~ aridity only 10 shown by the fringrs Of tr,cs
| along ~ lcw water cIurscs The cause Of the eN.
stiur aridity IL Hssgnabe TO the TACT that the pm
| NnilinR westerly current ~ air coming from the
| lnrihc uUUau has H. aqueous NnIor condensed Ia
| passing over the lofty fanr,> ~ mountains which
| nl"rOpt H. A. some plar'- u may bc Practicable
by aftcsian wells ~ obtain water ln sufficient vol.
nmc u dow uron the surface and to that extern,
| the land would no doubt h. soon clothed with
| tfvrs Whether any climatic ciicrt would Thereby
| h. produced Ia prublematisul but 4 Il not worth
| the experiment u the insult should only ah0td
| shelter Tor the henlsncn aud the herds and focks
| which this vast pasture Il capable 81 supporting
| II was surely n mlsnnmct Ia call this region a
dc-crt, In view 81 the iari that mytiAds otbulalO
| with hcr'i- 81 deer aud anteloTe. formerly found
| adequate suhsstcncc upon the grand pruirlc."
1 With gratiiiration have nuucud the noble pnr.
pcs of Nott asNo'iatOn, contrasting honnnihly
with the selfish aims II partisan STRIFE and with
curllal wishes Tor the OF the FORESTRY con.
| gtcs." am faithfully yOun,
| ITFrgusos~nAvta